«(…) the situation is dramatic, in particular for recipients of “Hartz IV” welfare benefits: it is impossible for people reliant on the welfare payments to get by reasonably for an entire month, he said. Single parents currently receive monthly benefits of 374 euros ($484) in addition to the cost of rent and heating; a family of four receives 1,100 euros to 1,200 euros.»

«The economies of some of the other European countries are doing far worse than Germany, but Germany has an especially high level of poverty. Schneider said poverty figures from Spain, Greece, Portugal and Ireland are currently not very reliable because of the dramatic developments in these countries, but even taking that into account, the conclusion is clear. Germany has survived the crisis quite well, he said. But when compared directly with other European nations, Germany always performs poorly.»